Jacob gritted his teeth as you effortlessly scooped him up into your arms, his body protesting the sudden motion. “Put me down,” he snapped, his voice rough with irritation, but you didn’t listen.

His arm hung awkwardly in your hold, the injury to his side making him wince, but that didn’t stop the frustration from boiling up inside him.

He wasn’t some damn damsel to be carried.

“I can walk, I’m not helpless,” he muttered under his breath, trying to squirm out of your grasp, but the pain in his side kept him from putting up much of a fight.